Despite the fact that we’re well into November at this point, I have yet to do a single thing to get my kitchen ready for the rapidly approaching holidays. If you haven’t either, then at least we’re in good company, and it isn’t to late to get ready either!
In fact, I’ve broken it down into a handful of the most important tasks. Tackle one task at a time, and soon enough, your kitchen will be in tip-top shape for the holidays, regardless of how grand or intimate your gatherings will be.
11 Tips To Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays
1. Clear Out Old Food
Clear out any old food items (especially anything past its best-by date) from your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Not only will you get rid of all those expired or unwanted things that are taking up valuable shelf space, but you’ll free up room for incoming ingredients and future culinary creations.
Be sure to clean up any sticky messes if your fridge or on your shelves if you happen to have any. (This isn’t strictly related to holiday prep, but you’re already moving things around so it’s a good opportunity to take care of those messes!)
If you’re freezer’s feeling crowded, take things out of their bulky packaging to free up more space. Discard foods that show signs of freezer burn. If you have an older freezer that needs to be defrosted on occasion, you can probably gain some valuable storage space by defrosting it now.
2. Check Your Spice Cupboard
Go through your spice cupboard and check the best-by dates on everything you know you’ll use for your holiday dishes. When in doubt, spices that are over a year old could probably use replacing, as well as any that don’t smell like much of anything when you open them.
Here are some spices commonly used during holiday cooking to look for and restock as necessary:
- Poultry seasoning
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Vanilla extract
3. Clean Your Oven And Dishwasher
Your oven and dishwasher are likely to get a workout in the coming weeks, so you want to make sure they’re relatively clean and in good working order for the holidays. If your oven or dishwasher is looking particularly grimy, check out my tutorials detailing how to clean each here:
4. Inventory Your Cookware
Making sure you have all the cookware you need (and that you know where it all is) can go a long way toward making your holiday meals more efficient. Start by taking an inventory of your pots and pans—do you know where your roaster is, and where all the lids to your pots are?
Another good thing to do is check out your cookware for cracks, chips, or broken pieces so you know what needs replacing.
5. Wash Your Tableware And Linens
Since a lot of our holiday pieces only comes out once or twice a year, they might be a bit dusty. It’s a good idea to pull out any special dishes, glassware, flatware and serving pieces and give them a good wash—doing it ahead of time will ensure you’re not trying to wash a bunch of large dishes during the hustle and bustle of food prep.
Take the time to wash and iron your tablecloths and napkins too. If you like to use candles on your holiday table, make sure you have enough on hand and a lighter or matches to light them with.
6. Get Rid Of Clutter
If you’re anything like me, once the cooking begins in earnest, you need all the counter space you can get! To help free up more workspace, go through your kitchen and remove extra items from countertops, tables and shelves to declutter.
Put all these things into a storage bin or closet so you can get them back out and replace them after the holidays. With your temporarily pared-down kitchen, you’ll have the room you need to cook and bake your holiday meals to perfection.
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7. Sharpen Your Knives
Don’t settle for hacking up your turkey with a dull carving knife—take the time to sharpen it beforehand, along with your other go-to kitchen knives. Use either a sharpening steel, a knife sharpener, or take your knives to a local knife shop and get them sharpened by a professional.
8. Stock Up On The Basics
I find that if I’m going to forget about something, it’s not usually the ingredients or the table settings—it’s those everyday housewares that I didn’t think to check on! Save yourself some time and stress by making sure you have plenty of those everyday necessities. (For instance, you don’t want to finish up a big holiday meal and realize you’re out of dishwasher detergent!)
Not everyone will need all of these things, but here’s a general list of household basics you can check your stock of:
- Trash bags
- Kitchen string
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic wrap
- Ziplock bags
- Cheesecloth
- Dish soap
- Dishwasher detergent
- Toothpicks
- Batteries
- Coffee filters
- Paper towels
- Napkins
9. Give Your Kitchen A Safety Inspection
Whether or not you’ll be expecting little ones in your home for the holidays, making sure your kitchen is safe is a smart move! But if you are expecting little ones over, you’ll want to ensure they can’t get a hold of any potentially harmful objects, such as matches, lighters, sharp utensils and household cleaners, by storing them cupboards with safety latches.
And everyone should make sure they have a functional fire extinguisher and smoke detector in their kitchen. And speaking of smoke detectors, take the time to test all the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your house to make sure they’re working correctly. Better safe than sorry!
10. Give Your Appliances A Checkup
Check each appliance you plan to use, including your microwave, stove, oven, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, crockpots, food processor, mixer and blender, to make sure they’re working and ready for action. As you assess each appliance, clean anything that could use it.
It’s also worth checking your oven temperature to make sure it’s heating up to the correct temperature. Learn more about calibrating and adjusting your oven at the link below.
Read More: How To Calibrate Your Oven For Better Baking
11. Consider Setting Up A Drinks Station
One thing I find helpful during holiday dinners is setting up water, sodas, and any other beverages out of the main kitchen area. That way, people can help themselves to drinks without creating a traffic jam for those of us who are working in the kitchen.
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You can do this for the duration of the season, which may be especially useful if you’ll have guests staying with you for the holidays. Set up an easily accessible beverage station with your coffee maker and coffee, water kettle and tea, and all the add-ins too. Put it in your living room, dining room, or wherever makes the most sense in your house so that guests can help themselves without crowding the kitchen.
Do you do anything special to get your home ready for the holidays?
I swear by my Cozi phone/computer app. I can keep track of all my recipes, dragging them to my meal planning calendar and to my shopping list. Then when I get to the store, I use the Cozi app to check off items as I buy them. My hubby and kids can even add last minute items to the list, and they’ll appear instantly on my phone so nothing gets left out. I have separate lists for each store (grocery, dollar, Walmart, etc.) to keep everything organized and make sure I get the best prices by planning my shopping ahead of time at the most economical store. I use the free version, but you can pay for more features with a subscription. (BTW, this is my fave tips site!)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip is to ask for help – EARLY! Before you get frustrated, irritated, bitter…that’s if you have some one who is willing to be a gracious helper, which I do. And be lavish with your thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Freeze freeze freeze did I say freeze:)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have learned to freeze most of my holiday dinner ahead of time./-make it a week or so ahead but the trick is in the defrosting of food. When it’s defrost time usually a day before the party use the refrigerator to defrost then heat and serve.
Prep a day before for the veggie tray. Bag and label trays/ dishes one wk party wask and cover.
Hope this helps
Lazy in tx
Kathy
I always have lots of kid friendly foods when entertaining. It helps keep them entertained.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My TIP: When making deviled eggs, mix the egg yolks, mayo and seasonings in a ZipLoc bag. Put everything in, zip it closed and smoosh it with your hands til blended, then cut the corner of the bag and fill up the whites………………….SUPER EASY……………
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always make my cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it. It’s easy to find a day when I can make the dough a month ahead of time, but closer to Christmas my time gets crunched! I defrost the dough the day before I need to bake.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How do you splatchcook a turkey?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Clean as you go~but don’t over load your dishwasher.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love doing Thanksgiving potluck style. The host does the turkey so it doesn’t have to be transported, and everyone else brings a side and a pie. The result is a fabulous feast and no one is burned out.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you don’t want to bake early, prep & group your ingredients the day before to save yourself time and frustration (and identify forgotten ingredients) once you get started.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If at all possible, I like to take a short nap before the Turkeys done.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My holiday tip: If you’re a dog owner, schedule a full grooming appointment, or bathe them yourself, before the holiday- try to get them in no later than two days before the event. That way you have one free day for any last minute errands.But your pooches will be fabulous for guests.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to make beautiful place settings that are personalized, and love to serve horderves. Lots of them, and wine, while Christmas music plays. It’s like heaven :) xo
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip is to have an activity for the kiddos to do while the adults are cooking. Whether it’s a little centerpiece, place mat, or simple coloring sheet, it’s nice to have a fun and busy (and quiet-ish) Thanksgiving themed craft for the little kids to do and then show off to the adults. Along with the gluten free rolls and cornbread for my son and green bean casserole, I will be taking a big box of construction paper, tissue paper, markers, glue, and scissors to my in-law’s house :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Set your table the night before.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Make lists and check off as you finish. It helps me remember during this busy time of year!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I always tell people that dinner will be served half an hour after I plan on serving it, that way I have time in case something goes wrong, and I put out simple appetizers of cheese and crackers so people have something to munch on if I run behind. If someone offers to bring something I never say no! I plan out how long each item takes to cook/bake and give myself a checklist with times, so I can remember when to start things. Anything that can be done the night before gets done then, so I have less dishes to do the day of: potatoes for mashed are peeled and cut and put in the fridge in water so I just have to change the water and boil the day of, veggies are peeled and sliced ahead of time. Dressing is made so it just has to be popped in the oven. I clean and organize my kitchen and pull down my good dishes the week before. I make sure my dishwasher is empty and clean as I go. Most important, I don’t stress about things being perfect. My family will remember time spent talking and laughing longer than they will that the rolls were a little dry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My best tip is to eat out if there will be a small number attending. I have been doing this for a few years now and I love it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My holiday tip is to remember to prepare for emergencies. I know it’s no fun, but they do happen and it’s always nice to be prepared for anything! :) Happy Holidays!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Several weeks ahead, I map out my menu listing all ingredients needed. Then I check to make sure I have everything or put it on my grocery list.
Once I have the menu set, I make sure I have all the serving dishes and serving utensils required, group them together and put a note in each noting what it’s for.
Eliminates surprises, well, mostly anyway ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My holiday tip: always have some basic appetizers on hand so when unexpected guests show up, you have something to serve them. Crackers, nuts, olives, sparkling water, hot cocoa, a nice bottle of wine, etc. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like to stick with recipes I’ve made before. Trying out new recipes for an event isn’t wise, because they might not turn out as well as you’d like.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Get a cooler to put drinks into. The juice for kids & pop (and other adult beverages) can take up alot of room in the fridge. This way you save the room & by keeping the cooler out of the kitchen, everyone can access the drinks without getting in your way.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m not hosting Thanksgiving this year, my sis is, so I’m not only taking a delicious sweet potato casserole, but a BIG bouquet of fall colored flowers for the host!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.my tip is dont be afraid to ask for help, you are human!
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